Government grants, practical setup guidance, and what to consider before installing chargers at your business premises.
The main government grant for businesses installing EV chargepoints.
The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a UK government voucher-based scheme that covers up to 75% of the cost of purchasing and installing electric vehicle chargepoints at business premises. The grant is capped at £500 per socket, and businesses can claim for up to 40 sockets per application.
The scheme is open to businesses of all sizes, charities, and public sector organisations. It covers the cost of the charger, installation, wiring, electrical upgrades, and safety certification. The grant increased from £350 to £500 per socket in April 2026.
OZEV has confirmed the scheme has been extended for a final year, with the deadline for new installations set at 31 March 2027. Businesses planning to install workplace chargers should apply before this deadline.
£500
Maximum grant per socket
75%
Of costs covered by the grant
40
Maximum sockets per application
Source: GOV.UK, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
This larger grant for SMEs is no longer accepting new applications.
The EV Infrastructure Grant for Staff and Fleets offered up to £15,000 per site towards larger charging installations, covering up to 75% of costs. It was designed for small and medium businesses installing chargers for employees and fleet vehicles.
This grant closed to new applications in May 2026. If your business received a voucher before the deadline, you may still be able to redeem it. Check GOV.UK for the latest information on your voucher status.
With this grant now closed, the Workplace Charging Scheme (£500 per socket) is the primary government funding route for business charger installations.
Source: GOV.UK, OZEV.
The application is handled by your installer, not by you directly.
Consider how many employees currently drive electric vehicles, how many are likely to in the next two to three years, and whether you need charging for fleet vehicles as well as staff cars. Installing more sockets now is usually cheaper than adding them later.
Only installers approved by OZEV can submit grant applications on your behalf. Get at least two quotes so you can compare pricing, equipment, and installation timelines. The OZEV approved installer list is available on GOV.UK.
Your installer will recommend chargers based on your electrical capacity, parking layout, and usage patterns. All chargepoints installed under the scheme must be smart-enabled, meaning they can be controlled remotely and can respond to energy pricing signals.
The installer applies to OZEV on your behalf. Once approved, OZEV issues a voucher. The grant is deducted from your invoice, so you only pay the net cost after the grant has been applied.
The installer completes the work, provides electrical safety certification, and registers the chargepoints. The process from application to installation typically takes four to eight weeks, depending on your installer’s availability and any electrical upgrade work needed.
The key decisions when specifying workplace chargepoints.
7kW is the standard for workplace use, adding roughly 30 miles of range per hour. Ideal when vehicles are parked for four or more hours. 22kW chargers are three times faster but require a three-phase electricity supply, which not all premises have.
Tethered chargers have a permanently attached cable, which is more convenient for users. Untethered chargers require drivers to bring their own cable, which reduces wear and theft risk but is less user-friendly. Most workplaces choose tethered.
All chargepoints installed under the Workplace Charging Scheme must be smart-enabled. Smart chargers can schedule charging for off-peak hours, balance load across multiple sockets to avoid tripping your supply, and provide usage data for billing or reporting.
Your building’s existing electrical supply determines how many chargers you can install without an upgrade. A site survey from your installer will confirm this. If an upgrade is needed, it adds cost and time but may be partially covered by the grant.
Things to think through before committing to an installation.
If you plan to offer free charging to employees, be aware of the tax position. Electricity provided by an employer for workplace charging is currently not a taxable benefit in kind, making it a tax-efficient perk. However, this exemption could change in future tax years, so it is worth keeping under review.
If employees will pay for their charging, you will need a payment or reimbursement system. Some smart chargers include built-in billing. For fleet vehicles that charge at employees’ homes, platforms like Rightcharge can handle reimbursement from a single invoice.
Consider future-proofing your installation. Running cable ducting to additional parking spaces during the initial installation is much cheaper than retrofitting later. Even if you only need four chargers now, laying the groundwork for eight or twelve costs relatively little extra upfront.
If you are considering making your chargers available to visitors or the general public, that involves additional regulatory requirements around payment systems and accessibility. For most SMEs, keeping chargers for staff and fleet use only is the simpler starting point.
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Ryan is the founder of Brumble and has over a decade of experience in the UK motor finance and insurance industry. He created Brumble to make it easier for UK drivers to understand the insurance and finance world by cutting through the jargon.
Originally published: 18 June 2026 · Last updated: 18 June 2026
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